Reintroducing “A Bintel Brief” — and our new advice columnists: “Dear Abbys”

From its creation in 1906, A Bintel Brief was a pillar of The Forward, and a trendsetter for advice columns across the United States. Yiddish for “a bundle of letters,” the column began out of necessity as so many readers wrote in sharing their troubles. The editor’s blunt answers helped waves of Eastern European immigrants learn how to be American.

When I took over as Editor-in-Chief of The Forward in September, I knew immediately I wanted to revive Bintel to help readers navigate the complexity of being Jewish in the 21st century, We were putting the finishing touches on the debut column when the pandemic hit hard; it only seems more urgent now. Answering your questions will be not one but two wise women named Abby — yes, “Dear Abbys,” in homage to that other legendary advice column.

Abby Sher is a stand-up comic, memoirist and author of young-adult novels who lives in Maplewood, N.J., with her husband and three children. Abby Rasminsky is a writer, teacher, and former professional dancer who recently moved to Los Angeles from Austria with her husband (a convert she actually met via The Forward!) and their daughter.

Illustrations are by Liana Finck, whose 2014 graphic novel about the original Bintel Brief brought it to life for a new generation.

The column will be publishing weekly on forward.com and as a newsletter, so watch your inbox, and please share with your friends. You can get a taste below, and send feedback — or questions — to dearabbys@forward.com. Thanks for reading, and for supporting The Forward.